The Time Lily Knew
by DreamingWildDreams
Summary: How would Lily Evans react when she found out what the Maruaders could become? A onehsot in which Lily finds out what they do every full moon. Slight pairings. Slight Jily.
**I do not own anything, all belongs to Queen Rowling.**

"You can't be serious!" Lily Evans shrieked, her red hair crackled like fire as she whipped around to send a furious glare at James Potter, her eyes and mouth scrunched so hard from glaring that they were only slits. James ran a hand through his hair, shifting from foot to foot, his eyes behind glasses darting everywhere but her face that was getting redder every second underneath her freckles. He was glad the classroom was deserted or his classmates would be getting quite the show. "You can _not_ be serious!"

"I'm always Siri-" Sirius Black started to say, tilting back in his chair with his feet on top of the desk, grinning widely with a charisma that made him seem even more handsome than he truly was.

"Oh, my sweet Merlin! If you say that again I will _kill_ you!" Remus Lupin said from across the room, banging his head against the desk that he sat at. Sirius only smirked and took his wand from his pocket, spinning it in his nimble fingers a few times before chucking it at the top of Remus's head on the desk. He glanced up sharply as the wood made contact with his skull of dusty blond hair. Between Lily and Remus's glare James couldn't decide who looked scarier.

"Aw, lighten up, Moony. Their quarreling is like a sporting match and I have willingly decided to commentate for all the children, you should be glad." Sirius said, pushing his feet against the desk so hard that his chair swung dangerously close to falling. But Sirius never fell. None of the Marauders ever fell. Kings didn't fall.

"Oh, shut up, you git!" Lily shouted before turning on Remus. She softened considerably when she noticed him touching his head, his face pinched from wincing at the spot the wand had hit. Sirius and James shared a glance of exasperation, Sirius throwing his hands up in defeat. Remus could set Dumbledore's robes on fire and Lily would find some way to blame James, even if Remus was holding a smoking wand. "Remus, I'm not cross with you. I know you would never encourage these absolute morons, who were clearly born yesterday-"

"Hey, I object!" Sirius said, slamming his chair down on all fours and rapping the desk like he was on a muggle trial.

"-And no nothing of the rules that are clearly stated every-bleeding-where!" Lily turned away from Remus, directing her spitting fire at James. He tried not to wince, truly, he did. But, God, she was more horrifying and beautiful than a hippogriff. James shook his head. Never compare the girl you're in love with to a hippogriff. "It was illegal! You both could be taken to Azkaban!"

"You know, you really don't have a right to be angry at us." said Sirius, looking almost bored with her anger but still grinning. Always grinning. "This was our decision and we knew it was illegal, we actually do know how to read, thank you very much. Besides, why isn't Peter getting shouted at? He did it too!"

"Are you five?" James asked, blowing out a nervous whistle of astonishment, "Tattling on Peter? Really, Sirius, this is a new low for you."

"Caught in between a rock and a hard place, mate. We're all going down on this ship."

"I know Peter was involved, that boy would follow you off a cliff if your big head said for him to!" Lily said, she sighed angrily looking directly at James with fury and disappointment. He tried to feel sorry for what he had done but he couldn't, he was just sorry that he had to have that look directed at him. "You should have known better! What would have happened if somebody found out? You would have been expelled! Or sent to Azkaban! Both, you would have went through both!"

"And it would have been worth it!" James said, pushing off the wall he had been leaning on. He was done hearing her yell, it was his turn. "It would have been worth it to know that Remus wasn't alone every full moon! Because if we all got expelled then we would all go to Azkaban together, sharing a cell and not regretting a single thing because, Lily, Marauders never abandon each other. Never. None of us have been careless about the fact that were Animagi, you figured it out because you're the most brilliant witch I've ever known and, Merlin, Remus is the worst liar. But we never would have jeopardized everything if it wasn't for a good reason. Remus was a good reason."

For a moment she just looked at him, blinking slowly. Her eyes knit close together, creating little lines in between her eyebrows. James blew out air, running a hand through his hair. She watched his hand move.

"Well said, mate." Sirius said, clapping slowly and looking at Lily like she was the one on trial.

"I understand that. I understand all of that." said Lily, sighing through her nose, looking torn. She sat down on the edge of a desk, staring at James earnestly before looking away at Remus then Sirius. " I know you two were only trying to help but did you ever stop to think what kind of position you put Remus in? You're putting more people at risk and the more people involved will draw more attention. I get it, Remus shouldn't be alone, but he never-"

"Actually, Lily, they asked me if it was okay before they started the process." Remus said, wincing when he heard the words come out, clearly ashamed of ever saying them. He stared down at Sirius's wand on his desk, taking it into his hand and scrubbing at a spot with his thumb. He looked so tired in this light. "I know it was stupid, but, Merlin, we were all twelve-year-olds who got off on doing stupid and illegal things. We loved that we could do something dangerous and crazy and I was more than happy to let them join me on the full moon, because I was selfish, Lily. They deserve none of the blame because I was the one who helped to research and made excuses to the teachers when the spells started having side-effects. Lily, they never would have done it if I wouldn't have been so lonely and desperate."

"Now, Moony, if you really think that we did all this because it was stupid and crazy, than by Merlin's saggy arse, you are truly as much of a git as I suspected." Sirius quipped, staring at the ceiling with his head tilted like a curious dog, rocking back on the chair with a creak. "We did it because we wanted to help a friend, with or without your consent. We only asked because one of the potions was gonna make our room smell like piss."

Remus stared at Sirius a moment, exasperated and half-amused, as always. James sighed before sitting down at a desk that was across from Lily, who was furiously biting her lip and twisting her school skirt in her hands.

"Well? What happens now?" James asked softly, aware that he was whispering but not knowing why because his voice traveled through the whole empty classroom. Sirius's eyebrows perked up and he sat forward while Remus leaned on his elbows, waiting impatiently for the verdict.

"I'm not going to tell, do you really think that low of me, you toerag?" Lily said, not sounding hurt but only curious. James looked in her green eyes, reminding himself to look away after a few moments.

"No, but what happens now? Were free?"

"Of course you're not free, Potter." she said, like his suggestion was absolute rubbish. "But I get it. I was never going to tell anyone. I would never do that to Remus. But this is serious and what you did to Snape last year was exactly the reason I got furious at you two. This can't be some elaborate joke or prank, if this is to help Remus then you need to start realizing the danger you put yourselves and Remus in."

"We do and every full moon we choose the same thing that we chose the first night of second year; to be there for Remus and each other, not matter what. We knew what we were getting into when we started the process." James said, looking her dead in the eye as she nodded and looked down at her hands.

"Aw, that was so touching Prongs." Sirius smirked, eyes lighting up mischievously as he wiggled his eyebrows. "I never knew you have such deeply affectionate feelings for us all. Just warms me right, right here."

He placed a hand on his heart, grinning madly before slamming his chair down, making Remus and Lily jump. He stood and walked to retrieve his wand taking it from Remus and ruffling his hair furiously. Remus only pushed his hand away and punched him in the shoulder.

"I don't know about you guys but I always get starving after an emotional conversation. So right now I am absolutely famished. The kitchens anyone?"

They all stood, walking out the door and taking a moment to appreciate the silence of the castle at twelve o'clock in the night.

The Marauders went left, the kitchens, and Lily went right, dorms.

James noticed her walking away from them, stopping to let Remus and Sirius walk a bit ahead before calling to her.

"Coming, Evans?"

She turned around loosely, her body void of tension after the argument. She walked to James slowly, her eyes never leaving his. He resisted the urge to pull his hand through his hair or fix his glasses.

"That was really incredible, what you said about Remus." She looked down again, her face looking softer when she wasn't yelling at him, which wasn't often. James took the time to memorize it, taking her in before looking away. "I never thought it was something like that, I'm sorry that I just expected the worst out of you."

"Evans, it was nothing you wouldn't have done." he said, suddenly regretting getting her alone because of how nervous she made him.

"Maybe." she said, looking thoughtful and doubtful. Then her face broke into a grin that almost made James take a step back. He hadn't had that smile directed at him since first year. He missed it.

Before he could take in the fact that she was moving closer she had already planted her lips on his cheek, so quickly it was as though a flower petal landed on his cheek, then she took a step back. Leaving James completely still, slack-jawed, and a burning on his cheek that felt the way her hair looked.

"Yo-you you just-" James tried to say, words failing him in his most dire moment.

"Race you to the kitchens!" Lily Evans said before she took off, leaving James Potter to stand in the corridor in shock and delight for a few more moments before his face split into a grin that wouldn't fall no matter how hard he tried. He shook his head a moment, smiling far too wide, then took off after the girl with flaming hair, who he would follow for the rest of his life.

 **This is my first fanfic\oneshot and I would love(LOVE) to know what you think about it! Please send me some feedback, I would love to hear your thoughts, no matter what they might be!**

 **All the love, always.**

 **DreamingWildDreams**


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